2 Sand Shots

[Golfbald]

I have been experimenting with the 2 sand shots from a bunker to get them honed a little better. Thought I would share some and ask for comments.

Sand Shot 1: The Explosion: This seems to be the most common for players. I like to use this for short sided bunker shots that only go a short distance. Works well from dry (sugar) sand.

The grip is a little weaker than a full shot, posture the same as a regular wedge shot, setup should be a open stance, weight on the left side, open blade. The ball position is very important it must be played 1-2 inches ahead of normal, a little right of center . The club head will strike the sand behind the ball and it will ride on top of the sand. The shaft position on this shot the hands are ahead of the ball the strike is a decending blow.

Sand Shot 2: This shot is best for longer bunker shots. It will have some roll on it like a putt after it lands. I call this a skimmer shot, it works well from wet sand as well as dry (sugar) sand.

Same grip as shot 1, same posture as a wedge shot. Setup is a little different. open stance, wide open blade, ball position off the front heel, the club will strike in the sand in back of the ball but will ride on a small wave vice a high explosion. After it lands it will roll like a putt. It feels more like extending the arms and coming to a waist high finish.

These shots are pretty easy to execute and will take fear out of bunker play. One other thing to remember to get better contact with open wedges, the setup point is more on the heel side than middle. The center point shifts as the club turns out. If you leave the ball position in the percieved center of the club you will actually hit off the toe.

Remember, Sand is your friend!!!

GolfBald

[ianlwest]

Hi Michael,
Really enjoy your contributions. Do you have a recommended approach to these two sand scenarios that I seem to encounter all too frequently?
1. Short, lofted shot over a greenside bunker, which goes all wrong and results in a plopped, plugged ball in the sand. Temptation is to really go at it and hope to get enough sand and ball to just get it out. Surely there is a more 'scientific' option.
2. Fairway bunker, where the lie is OK, and the temptation is to go for distance, which relies on perfect contact. Usually, I take too much sand, will most often get it out though, but it goes nowhere.

[Golfbald]

Ian,

If I understand #1 correctly your in the grass shooting a high lofted shot over the bunker and landing in the bunker. Fear factor 10 on a scale of 1 - 10 for most players. I play 3 different shots for the main 3 lies.

1. A thriller uphiller - This lie (see photo in the photo gallery) is a severe uphill lie that missed the bunker. Anchor yourself with the downhill leg. The uphill leg is for balance and angle off the hill. The shot setup varies depending on the distance from the hole and how much uphill angle it is. I will give you the constants in the shot. Once your stance is set the only hinge that moves is the wrists. Hinge them back and through. The clubhead will return to the point it started. The ball will popup with little spin it goes up and stops. If it lands on a downslope it will roll like putt. Around the green I play this with a 52*, 56* or 60* depending on the distance. This is a very consistent shot and easy to work into your shot selections. Tip: when taking a practice swing keep choking down on the club until you can release up the hill without hitting the ground.

2. Opposite hand releases - this shot came from a Jack Nicklaus "Golf MY Way" video from the 1980's, The Golf Machine by Homer Kelly and GolfBald research. I was looking for a way to get a high lofter that stops dead on the pin with absolute minimum roll from a flat lie. I play this if I flew the green or off to the side on the flat area by side of the green. This can be played if the ball is sitting up. Here's how it goes. Grip is important in this shot. Strong right hand, weak left hand. I use a double overlap grip to get more clubhead speed. The stance should be square to the target. Posture more upright than normal, try to get the club swinging about 4 - 6 inches from your toes no more. Do not open the club!!! Play the ball n the middle of your stance. The swing is no weight tranfer, weight in the middle through the swing. Allow your arms to swing in front of your body on the shoulder line. With the crossed grip it will hinge off the ball and snap through at the bottom. Almost a perfect V. Work your practice swing to get the swing speed up. Adjust distance by changing clubs not the swing. The shot will come off very high and stop dead. I've stopped this shot dead with a trickle on a good downslope. If you incorporate this shot into your game work it on the practice green first when minimal people are around. With the velocity of the release and a skull you can do some damage. Hit it correctly and those 20-30 yard shots are gimmies. Aim for the top of the flagstick!!!

3. The Thriller Downhiller - The most dreaded shot around the green. You fly a green and it ends up on a hill in back or side of the green and have to hit it back on. The common shot is to duff it to the botton of the hill or skull it across the green and having to play another greenside shot. I came up with this shot watching my beloved Chicago Cubbies on TV. Moises Alou has an interesting batting stance he stays centered on the plate and swings through, his back foot turns like a driver and he gets line drive power through the ball. I used this a base for a solid downhill shot. I figure if you start in an impact position as a setup downhill you can swing through knowing you will return to the impact position and then follow through. Here's the shot:

Downhill foot is the anchor foot, turn it out slightly almost like a driver stance. the uphill foot is slightly in back of you, the downhill side should be pre-weight shifted at the begining of the swing and the uphill knee will be kicked in. Check this by swinging through waist high and coming to a belt buckle at the target regular swing finish. The ball will be played off the downhill heel and close to the foot or a skull will occur. Take the club about waist high cock you wrists and make a regular swing. Play it with a pw - 60*. You will have to work with it to get it right. Don't declelerate through it. Think of it like a 8i fairway shot. Don't help it up in the air just swing through. If your stance is adjusted properly it will look like a level ground shot as these are all the adjustments. The ball will come out medium high with a little backspin. I have experimented with opening the blade and stance and getting it to come out high but you have to swing through it well. Not for the faint of heart or anyone who doesn't put time into thier short game but if you do give it a try. It is a fundementally sound shot.

The fairway bunker shot is not as tricky. Pick a club you can have enough loft to clear the front lip or hill. It you don't think you can clear the front lip or hill. Pitch out sideways and get on the fairway. That is the goal here. If you decide to go forward, remember clear the front hill don't try to hit the Pro on the green miracle shot, save yourself a shot or two by playing to your ability. Onward, you want to try to pinch it off the sand not exploded it. Play the ball abou t a half inch farther back than normal and choke down on the club to compensate for the dug in feet. Take a normal swing!!! Hoover the just above the sand the half inch ball back will compensate for the hoover and take a normal swing, did I mention take a normal swing. That is the key here.

Remember use you imagination around the green!!!

Hope this helps please post any comments or questions,

GolfBald

[AceofSpades2]

Yo Baldy,

Ya leavin it all out there on the last post. I been workin on the downhill shot. Bout killed 2 guys on the green when I skilled a few. Then I got it, whew, what a sweet shot. The club looks really closed on setup but a tight spin. Hit a few and they did the rip stop with a open blade. where do you come up with this stuff??? My homeboy Tyrone took a ful swing from downhill just messin and hit a popup that stopped dead. I ask How did it feel, he say Felt like a good pinshot. He say he feels good about that one.

Ya'll listen to the man. He know whats up. PLayed my last in 3 under. You da man, Baldy!!!!!!

Anytime anyplace bro

Ace

[Golfbald]

Ace,

That downhill shot is not for the faint of heart. If your confident with the setup and committed to the shot it's reletively easy. I practice it enough to get my brain thinking it's a level lie shot after the setup and swing through. The clubface looks very closed because of the angle of the hill compared to the body angle. Adjusting the clubface to square to the target will sometimes take a friend to help physically move it to the target so you will understand what square is on these shots.

Keep'em on the pin!!!

GolfBald

[sparky]

An old Robert Allenby tip

Hi Golfbald

A quick thanks for all your work on the site.

I never really welcome a bunker shot but years ago when the normal explosion shot just didn't come off enough for me I started using a tip Robert Allenby gave via a car add.

In short he said just chop down into the back of the ball like you were chopping wood. It dosn't produce the most control, but it get me up and down nine times out 10

[AceofSpades2]

Expolsion

Baldy,

I read the 1st post again. I thinks you made it alittle unclear about the ball position wen you say 1-2 in. ahead of normal. The normal you are talkin is for a reg wedge shot not a bunker shot right? If that the case cool. 1-2 in. ahead for a reg bunkershot would put it too far forward. Your spot "a little right of center" worked good in a slight uphiill but the more you get uphill the more you play forward. You agree or not.

If your talk in general, yeah cool. Like a startin point.

People, just pound the sand. It sprays up the ball comes out. Nuff said. Don't take a wimppy swing eitha.

Word out Ace

[ianlwest]

Hi Michael, Been on my hols, so only just read your reply - thanks.
In scenario #1 what I am really looking for is guidance on what the best approach is to deal with a DEEPLY plugged ball in soft sand. For me this usually occurs because I screw up a lofted shot around the green, or sometimes because some kind individual before you has not raked the bunker and the ball has rolled into a hole.

[jscerbo]

In order to get the ball out of a buried hole is to to toe the club in to the sand.

So move the clubhead to the right by doing so you move the toe of the clubhead to the right so it will create a digging tool.

Then complete your backswing matching the distance that you want to propel the ball, and leave the in the sand, when I say this do not decelerate, just have an abrupt short follow through .